South Asia’s first Disneyland to be set up in Hambantota?

State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage will be visiting US next month to initiate talks in constructing South Asia’s first Disneyland in Hambantota.

A statement from Gamage’s media unit said that the State Minister will be visiting Burbank in the United States next month to discuss initial plans for an 18-billion dolar investment in Sri Lanka, following an invitation following an invitation from the Walt Disney Company.

She was invited by Alexia S. Quadrani, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations at the Walt Disney Company. The State Minister had earlier written to Walt Disney Company inviting them to set up a Disneyland in Sri Lanka.

“Following your request, we at the Walt Disney Company have agreed to visit Sri Lanka during late November this year to hold a series of exploratory meetings to understand the financial feasibility of setting up a regional Disneyland in Hambantota,” Quadrani said in a letter to the State Minister. A delegation from Disney is expected in November this year.

Quadrani said that, while unable to provide exact details, an investment would be in the ange of $16-18 billion.

This would provide much needed financial injection to Sri Lanka in order to mitigate the dollar crisis, the statement said.

State Minister Gamage also said that such an investment would be beneficial to use the large infrastructure available in the area including the Mattala Airport.